Red and pink
by jin0uga
Summary: A lonely and tired Ruby makes a decision. She vowed, from that day onward, that she would be the best she could be. To hell with the people who didn't support her. It was either happiness by her terms or theirs.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I don't own RWBY and other inconsequential things you don't need to know.

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><p>"We're going over to team JNPR's room! Catch you later lil' sis!" Yang called out to Ruby. Currently, the room was empty since the other team members, Weiss and Blake, had already gone to join their other friends. Yang had stayed to inform her sister that she was going to have to spend another night by herself.<p>

"H-huh? But Yang, you guys promised that we would have a team bonding night!" The voice responded from the bathroom, slightly muffled by the door. Ruby stood at the sink, stunned from the sudden turn of events. She had been happily getting ready for the elusive team bonding night, and now her mood had taken a turn for the worst. She felt a little hurt that her teammates were ditching her.

Again.

The girl was dressed in a black tank top with a cute little design printed on the front. On her legs were long, white pants covered with pink roses. Ruby waited for her sister to reply, the small hope that her sister would not leave her alone tonight growing stronger with each second of silence. Maybe Yang wouldn't leave her after all. There was a saying that blood was thicker than water. They were half-sisters, but still. Maybe the saying still applied. Just as the thought crossed her mind, Ruby's hopes were dashed.

"I know that rubes, but Nora got her hands on some alcohol. Alcohol rubes! We won't know when something so awesome will come our way again." Yang whined. "And the only reason you can't come along, is cuz you're underage!"

"You guys are underage too!" She cried out.

"Yeah, by one year! Come onnnn lil' sis. We can do team bonding and all that other jazz some other night."

"Fine! Do what you want!" Ruby shouted back angrily, and felt tears prickle her eyes when she heard loud footsteps slowly growing further and further away. She used her hands to rub her eyes. Some friends.

No longer having any motivation to hurry, Ruby sluggishly finished brushing her teeth and got ready for the night. The sight of an empty dorm room made her chest hurt, especially when the sounds of laughter from team JNPR's room could be heard through the paper thin walls. She could hear a popular pop song playing too. Ruby pursed her lips in a combination of sadness and frustration.

She knew that she wasn't the most sociable person to walk into Beacon, but the way she was being pushed aside was getting ridiculous. Although Yang did make an effort to include her in whatever activates they were doing, Weiss and Blake still thought of her as a little girl. It didn't help that she was 'different'. Ruby knew that her teammates thought that her obsession with weapons was a little creepy or maybe even downright repulsive, but what could she do? She wasn't about to give up her passion just to fit in.

'_Maybe it's better like this.'_ She thought to herself and sat on the floor with a sigh. She grabbed her toolbox and her sweet heart, crescent rose, and changed it into its scythe form. Grabbing a few whetstones, Ruby sat in the dim room, engulfed by the sound the metal being sharpened. It was calming, and soon, the young girl was lulled into a Zen like mode as her arm dragged the whetstone up and down the edge of the scythe.

After ensuring that it the edges were sharp enough, she set down what remained of the whetstone and grabbed a brown cloth. The cloth had many stains on it, usually from oil or paint. She made sure to wipe and clean every nook and cranny of crescent rose before being fully satisfied. A clean weapon meant that it was less likely that it would suddenly break down in battle. A glance at the clock showed that it was only 9pm.

The feeling of loneliness came rushing back like a tidal wave, slamming into her in full force.

She wanted to do some repairs on Ember Celica as well, but Yang had left it in her locker. Weiss would definitely murder her in her sleep if she ever so much as breathed on Myrtenaster. Gambol shroud was strapped to Blake's back like some sort of security blanket. All in all, Ruby found herself with nothing to do, except drown in her own misery.

'_This sucks.' _Her mind whined. _'Is it really so difficult to include me in anything?'_

Forgetting that crescent rose was still in her scythe form, Ruby gripped the sharp blade tightly and squealed when a small pinprick of pain blossomed in her palms. Quickly folding her weapon into its compact form, Ruby darted to the bathroom to wash her wound. Bursting through the door, she headed straight for the sink.

The cooling sensation of water felt nice, and she was temporarily distracted the shimmering liquid. After a minute, she caught herself wandering off to dreamland and quickly shut off the tap. Berating herself internally for being so ditzy, she tilted her head up and gasped.

Ruby stared at her reflection.

From the brightness of the fluorescent lights, the girl could see dark bags forming under her silver eyes. The usually chipper girl noticed that her eyes no longer held that child-like sparkle which had been there on the first day in Beacon. She looked tired. _Exhausted_. Her wild red and black hair was unusually limp as well. Ruby reached up to curl a few of its strands. It uncurled itself and slapped her in the forehead like a dead branch in the middle of winter.

She blanched.

But looking at herself like this, Ruby was suddenly hit by an epiphany. Her gaze bore into her reflection, and she deduced something which made her blood freeze.

This was her. She looked like this. Like death had come in and swooped in to claim her. What had made her into…_this_? A shell. A mere shadow of her former self. Who exactly was she trying to impress? Yang? Weiss? Blake? Well, they weren't here now, were they? They were in another room, enjoying themselves without her and most likely thinking that there wasn't a care in the world. That Ruby Rose, their young and naïve leader, would always be waiting to welcome them with open arms. A sudden burst of anger made her grind her teeth together.

'_No more. I won't hurt myself over this anymore.' _

Ruby thought feverishly, and slammed her hands onto the porcelain. It cracked a little, but otherwise held against the irate leader of team RWBY.

'_I deserve better. My teammates are not the only people in this world after all.'_

That night, Ruby rose made a promise to herself.

She would find a place where she could feel safe, loved and wanted.

She would find people who cared for her. Who accepted her for who she was.

She would no longer hide her passion for weapons. No…she would even embrace it.

To hell with the people who didn't support her. It was either happiness on her terms or theirs.

Ruby Rose made a vow, that she could be – _no _– **would** be the best she could be.

She owed it to herself after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or its characters. Only the sun, moon and the stars are mine.

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><p><strong>4 months later…<strong>

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><p>It was a horridly humid day when two of the members of team RWBY realized that something was wrong with their leader. Blake immersed in the world of splendid but dark tales of her newest book and Yang was just…well, being Yang. The fighter had noticed the weirdness of her sister's attitude over the last month, and each time she tried to scour for some information, the red haired girl would just disappear to somewhere in a flurry of red rose petals.<p>

Yang did not want to burden her lover with her troubles, yet she felt the strangeness of everything beginning to wear down on her previous decision. Sitting on a small chair, she stared at Blake for several moments before the words escaped into the warm, humid air.

"Hey Blake…"

The cat Faunus perked up when she heard her partner's worried voice and turned to stare at the golden haired beauty who was lounging on one of the chairs. "What is it, Yang?"

The girl in question twiddled her thumbs in contemplation and boredom. A few scant seconds passed before she spoke again. "Don't you think Ruby's been acting really strange lately?" She said, with a tinge of worry colouring her words. She stared at Blake earnestly and waited for her next words impatiently.

"I have…" Blake's gaze was turned towards the ceiling as she fiddled with the pages of her book. "But, I thought she would've gotten over it by now." She commented thoughtfully. "Ruby used to smell like roses, but–"

Yellow eyes met lilac ones.

"Now, she mostly just smells of oil and dirt." Blake shut her book with a thud and got her bunk bed, making her way to the small bookshelf. Tidying up the books which were piled on one another unsteadily, she made quick work of them.

Yang sighed in frustration and threw her hands up. "Arghh this is killing me!" She exclaimed, and started pacing up and down their small dorm room. Blake deadpanned as she spotted burn marks forming on the carpet. She had better stop her partner before she destroyed it, Weiss would throw a fit and then they'll never be able to get another moment's peace.

"Why don't you just ask Ruby?" The cat Faunus asked dryly and tugged Yang's shoulder to make her calm down. This seemed to rile the girl up even more, her lilac eyes flickering between red and lilac. Yang scowled. "If it was that easy, I would've done it a long time ago!" she replied angrily and began to kick the wall repeatedly, leaving several unsightly black marks. "God dammit!"

Blake shook her head slightly and stepped forward to wrap her partner in a large hug. This seemed to calm her down slightly; letting loose another large sigh, Yang relaxed into the embrace and buried her head into the Faunus's neck, nuzzling it gently. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Yang." Blake murmured quietly and began to stroke through the golden locks. Gently untangling some knotted strands; she blushed a little when Yang let out a small purr. "Ruby's a big girl anyway. You know that she can take care of herself."

Yang mumbled out a doozy reply from her position. "I know that…" Moving away from Blake's warm skin, she looked up into the comforting yellow eyes of her lover. "But there is always going to be a part of me that is protective of her y'know?" She said dejectedly. "After her mom died, Ruby was crushed. I was the only one who understood what she was going through, what with my mom disappearing and all."

Yang sniffled a little at the sad memories which poured into her mind. Blake just kept silent, knowing that yang needed to get whatever it was off her chest. She led them over to their bed and gently lowered their bodies onto the soft mattress.

"Some nights, Ruby would wake up screaming. But…she never bothered me or dad with her nightmares. She just bottled it all up. I sorta eavesdropped on her on those nights when it was really bad. I could hear her whimpering becoming worse until she just started crying. Then, the idiot would just cover her face with the red cloak and cry until she fell asleep."

Yang chuckled, a sense of sick nostalgia overwhelming her. Even now when she thought about those days, it still made her regret not _ever_ lifting a finger to help her little sister. Her younger self needed a good ass kicking.

"So yeah…sometimes I forget that Ruby's just a kid. She always acts so mature and stuff but sometimes…she says something that sounds so _morbid_ that it just makes you want puke." Yang muttered as she curled into Blake's protective hold. It wasn't everyday she allowed herself to be the little spoon. The cat Faunus knew that those moments were few and far between. Yang always considered herself as the protector, and never the protected. It made Blake want to coddle her, if only for a short time.

"We're all kids, Yang." She told her partner honestly. "Although Ruby is two years younger than all of us, she's smarter than we give her credit for." Blake's cat ears twitched slightly when Yang sighed again. She pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Maybe she just needs some time to herself. She could be working on crescent rose. You know how she obsessed she is, with that scythe of hers."

A small snort. "It's actually a sniper scythe, kitty." Came the cheeky response.

"Quiet, Yang." Blake shushed. "Don't ruin the moment."

"C'mon…way to _shoot_ me down Blakey."

.

.

.

"Yang?"

"Sup'?"

"I hate you."

"Aww, I love you too."

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><p><strong>Somewhere in Vale<strong>

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><p>The sweltering heat of the furnace danced across her skin. The girl felt beads of sweat rolling down her temples but refused to wipe them away in fear of messing it up. With shaky hands, Ruby began hammering and chipping at the softened metal into its desired form. The heat of the newly heated metal did not reach her hands for she was wearing a specially crafted glove with dust weaved into its simple patterns.<p>

Ruby was grasping the dagger so tightly that it bit into the rough material of her glove. Her actions were quick. After the first two months of practicing and learning more about smithing (adding to her already advanced knowledge), she had finally taken the leap of faith to create something, more powerful. Her mentor had cautioned her that this was no easy task, but the twinkle in his eyes had ultimately pushed her to execute her plan. The image of a new and improved crescent rose made her blood sing in excitement, and with one final hammer, drenched the hot metal into a bath of water. The metal sizzled and danced wildly, and steam rose from the water bath, making the room even more humid.

"Thank dust I didn't break it again." Ruby said aloud, the exhaustion finally slipping back into her mind. Lifting the new and completed body of crescent rose from the bucket, the huntress in training placed the body beside several other parts she had made today, including a handle for her beloved weapon. She hummed in excitement, a small grin stretching the edges of her lips. She couldt wait until she fixed her darling up. Stepping over the pieces of broken metal strewn all over the floor, she made her way towards the window.

She glanced out of the window and groaned aloud, what she saw destroying any semblance of a good mood. The vibrant orange hues of the setting sun cast large shadows of the nearby trees onto the ground and on the walls of the modestly sized building. Although not yet nighttime, Ruby knew that by the time she took the airship back to beacon it would be nightfall and her teammates would be bombarding her with questions of her whereabouts and activities.

Well, maybe only Yang would care enough for that. Weiss was too busy fretting about this and that to ever care about the childish team leader. Blake was…neutral? She didn't seem to be interested in anything other than Yang, her books, and Yang. Did she already mention Yang?

Then suddenly, a knock on the back door broke her out of her reverie.

"Ruby? It's getting late, are you going to leave soon?" Called a deep, rumbly voice from outside. Oh dust. Ruby stumbled on her own feet and yelped in pain when she swung her arms wide and smashed her elbow on the edge of the furnace. The searing heat coupled with pain was enough to make her eyes fill with tears. Cursing herself for her clumsiness, Ruby quickly responded.

"Yessir! But I haven't cleared the place up yet, so give me some time!"

"Don't worry about that! Your team will probably be worried, so just leave the clearing up to me."

"But–"

"No but's!" Jack Ironwood responded sternly. Although he couldn't see her face, he just knew that she was making those adorable puppy eyes. He shan't give in this time! "You better get going if you want to make it back before tongues start to wag."

"Alright, fine." She reluctantly accepted. "But I'll clear it next time. Promise!" Ruby called back as she hurried to pick up her tools and her beloved red hood hanging on the coat rack, near the main doorway which led main shop. The pain in her elbows had dulled, but the skin was slightly raw and pinkish. It was probably going to bruise. She made a mental note to apply something for the burn as she scurried out of the shop and into the street. Ruby sped down the empty road and turned left, entering the main street which was littered with people.

Her scroll beeped once, then twice, signaling that it had received a message.

Ruby barely glanced at its contents before tucking it back into her pocket. She read it later. For now, she had an airship to catch and a worried sister to calm.

_From: Jack _

_I stored Crescent Rose's parts at the back of the shop. Make sure to fix her up the next time you come in!_

_The shop will be receiving a new order for a custom made weapon next week, so remember to come in at your usual time. This month's pay is already on its way, so don't worry about it. _

_See you next week, kid. _

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><p><strong>AN: I used Wikipedia and made up some stuff about the blacksmithing part. Sorry if it seems weird or anything. Thank you for all those follows and reviews. You guys make me happy. :) <strong>

**And of course, foreshadowing anyone?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own RWBY or its characters.

**AN:** Holy shit, over 70 followers and 41 favs! You guys are seriously awesome. I want to thank the reviewers for fuelling my muse as well! I wrote down the plan for the next few chapters on my notebook, so hopefully i don't lose it. And fear not, Neo will be appearing in the next chapter!

On another note, did anybody see the last episode of RWBY? I am so fucking in love with coco right now. When i saw her, my mind was just like KABLAMO! And then this song, started playing in my head. **'Her name is coco and she is loco, i say oh no!'. **If anybody guess which anime this is from, i'll give you a cookie.

And because of that, i'll be making this a Weiss x Coco fic. Muahahaha. I can't for the life of me, figure out how to use tumblr. I see so much art there that i get inspired easily, but for the fics, i think i'll stick to FF because i am clueless on how to freaking use sites like tumblr. Gosh.

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><p>Ruby bounced in her seat, the excitement getting the better of her. Weiss shot her a vapid glare when her own chair puffed up suddenly before turning to her partner and mouthed '<em>sit still you dolt'<em>. Once the bouncing had more or less tapered off, the heiress nodded in satisfaction and turned her attention back to Professor Port.

Weiss was rather excited. Why you ask? Today was the day which the students were handed back their results from the many classes. She was confident that she would get an 'A' as usual. Call her you want, but getting the highest grade in the _first_ class would no doubt set the tone for the rest of the day. Schnee's were the best, the crème de la crème so to speak. Although being part of team RWBY had softened her competitive nature somewhat, Weiss was still dead set upon being the best.

Professor Port finally arrived to the part all the students had been waiting for. Even Yang stopped doodling on her piece of scrap paper and perked up to listen.

"Alright students! I am happy to say that this semester's results were a vast improvement!"

He broke off and laughed jovially. Walking back to his desk, he retrieved a big stack of papers which everyone eyed in fear or trepidation.

"Many students scored well. However, only one may stand at the peak in exaltation as the best!" he declared soulfully and nearly flung the papers out of his hand. The students in the room nearly breathed a sigh of relief when his speech began to die down.

"The student who obtained the best grade for my class is…"

Weiss adjusted her Tiara and puffed her chest out pride fully. Secretivly glancing out of the corner of her eye at the previously top student, Pyrrha, she smirked to herself and was prepared to stand up when–

"…Miss Ruby Rose!"

Weiss nearly fell out of her seat. The girl beside her stood up cheerily and went down from her place to collect her paper, which had a big fat '98' stamped on the front. Ruby whistled happily as she sank back into her seat, eying her paper with a large smile on her face. The cookie-lover failed to notice however, that her partner was glaring at her with such intensity, that the students sitting in the other side of the room whimpered and shrunk back at the poisonous gaze.

Blake and Yang had to pick up their jaws from the ground, eyes widening at the fact that _Ruby_ of all people was the top of the class. She was two years younger than them for dust's sake! Ruby never scored that well for her best class last semester. Usually, her scores were far below team RWBY's due to the fact that she had skipped two years of classes and did not have as much knowledge as they did.

Oblivious to their shocked gazes, Ruby whistled a jolly tune as the class was dismissed and headed for her next one. Yang saw her sister leave and turned to Blake. "We'll ask her about it later." She assured, knowing that the cat Faunus shared the next class with Ruby.

Blake nodded and grimaced when her girlfriend hiked her thumb backwards, pointing towards a rapidly reddening Weiss. Yang sighed. "I gotta do some damage control before she blows Beacon to bits." She said dryly and Blake shot her a sympathetic look.

When the heiress was mad, the sheer _force_ of it would even make Ozpin cower a little.

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><p>"I. Cannot. Believe. This."<p>

Weiss roared angrily as she paced up and down the room. Today had been an utter disaster. Actually, to say that it was a disaster would still be the understatement of the century. Not only did she not score the top marks for every subject, but Ruby – _Ruby _of all people had scored the highest marks for every single subject, barring the ones which the smaller girl excelled in such as combat classes.

Weiss didn't even have the luck to get second place. Pyrrha had gotten it, meaning that the heiress was pushed down to a measly third place. _Third_ place! If her family caught wind of this, she would ship her back to the mansion herself!

Meanwhile, Yang sat on her bed coolly as she watched her teammate beginning to suffer from a mental breakdown. She would have loved to poked fun at the heiress now, but unfortunately, Yang could do without a rapier being shoved up her butt.

"Will you settle down, princess?" The blonde said and tried to calm the raging girl down. She inched away slightly when she received a dark glare in return. "Third place isn't really that bad!" Yang tried again. Weiss froze in her tracks. The room's temperature dropped suddenly as the heiress turned her anger on the blonde.

"Not that bad? Not that _bad_?!" She screeched. "Yang Xiao Long, so help me if you say one more word–"

Blake shoved the room door open, deciding that it was time to intervene before her girlfriend was slaughtered.

"Ruby's here!" the cat Faunus interrupted. Yang breathed a sigh of relief and shot her a thankful glance. Somehow, she felt as if she just escaped death by a hair's breath. '_Never again._' Yang shuddered and this time, moved herself even further from the heiress.

While Blake joined Yang on her bed, Weiss's attention was now focused on a confused looking Ruby who was standing at the doorway. "Get inside!" The heiress snapped. Her partner obliged and quickly stepped into the room.

Upon shutting the door with a loud bang, Weiss directed her glare towards Ruby and placed her hands on her hips in a show of intimidation.

"What. Did. You. Do?"

Weiss demanded, scowling angrily.

"What do you mean, what I did?"

"Don't play dumb with my Ruby rose!" She barked, causing said girl to wince at the shrillness of the voice.

"How did _you_ top every single class?"

Ruby shrugged. "I studied."

"Obviously!" The heiress exploded. "How could you go from a B minus average, to an A? You even beat Pyrrha for dust sake!"

"I had a lot of time!" Ruby snapped, getting annoyed with her partner. What the hell did they want from her? The only reason she studied so hard was because her 'friends' never invited her along when they went out. There was only so much weapon improvements she could do before Crescent rose became too heavy to carry.

"Don't tell me…" Ruby's thoughts were interrupted when Weiss's tone turned accusatory. "You cheated off someone didn't you?" She said, her voice rising higher and higher. Yang felt her hackles rise up at that. This was going way too far. There was no way that a person like Ruby would cheat. Her sister couldn't even lie without breaking into sweats and apologizing after. Dust, she was practically the poster girl for innocence!

Blake must have had the same thoughts because she pushed herself off the bed and was beginning to move towards the arguing pair. "Weiss…that's going a little too far." The cat Faunus warned.

But it was too late. The damage had been done.

"Fuck you, Weiss!"

Ruby yelled angrily. She could feel tears beginning to build, but pushed them down in favour of setting her damned _partner_ straight. Weiss went from stunned to enraged in two seconds flat. Blake and Yang were shaken up. Ruby never cursed. Heck, even they didn't curse! To hear something like that from their leader was…

"What did you–!"

"You heard what I said." Ruby answered in a much softer voice. Silver eyes gleaming with hurt and anger, Ruby met her teammate's respective gazes. They all cringed at what they saw.

"From the time we became a team, you never included me in anything. You guys and team JNPR always spend time together, but what about _me_?! I tried and I tried. Am I still not good enough for you?" Ruby continued, her voice cracking painfully. "We've barely even spoken for the past few months, and you…_you _still say I'm cheating?! Well I'm not okay! Every time you all went out to have fun, I was at the library! Studying until my fingers were numb because I wanted you to be proud!"

Team RWBY's expressions varied from horrified to guilty. Weiss felt the bite of guilt at the back of her throat when she saw how hurt Ruby was. Not just by her comment, but by _all_ their actions from the past few months.

"Sis…" Yang began and stepped forward to embrace her, but was hurt when Ruby took a step back, burying herself into her red cloak. Silver eyes met lilac ones, and Yang recoiled at the votile emotions displayed plainly on them.

"You didn't even defend me, Yang." Ruby said, and the disappointed tone cut through her older sister's heart like a blade. "You too, Blake. It's not just about what Weiss said, but what you did. What you _all_ did."

Ruby tore her gaze away from her team members. "I want to be alone. Don't look for me." She told them quietly and before any of them could react, disappeared in a flash of rose petals.

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><p><strong>Line break<strong>

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><p>The headmaster of Beacon academy eyed the young girl before him. Although his face was blank, she could sense the undertone of pity behind his piercing gaze. Ruby couldn't meet his eyes, but instead focused her gaze on his dark oak desk.<p>

He spoke first, breaking the silence.

"Ruby, are you sure that this is the best way?"

He paused.

"Everyone makes mistakes. I am not saying that you should forgive them right away, but is a move as drastic as this needed…?"

Ruby sighed. "I just need to be alone for some time, headmaster." She said softly. "I don't want to hurt them."

She looked up at him with pleading eyes.

"And I don't want them to hurt _me_."

Ozpin nodded slowly. "If you're sure. I have already contacted Jack Ironwood. He seems receptive of the idea. But make no mistake Ruby, allowing you to take a short break does not mean you are dropping out of Beacon." He addressed her sternly. "The only reason that you are allowed to do this, is because you have proven yourself worthy of the school's trust. Your marks have been impeccable this semester and even Miss Goodwitch had given her consent."

Ruby nodded stiffly. "I understand."

He sighed. "Very well. You will be allowed to stay with Jack Ironwood for the entirety of this short holiday, spanning three weeks." He finished and stood up from his seat. "I will inform team RWBY about this at a later date."

"Thank you, Headmaster. Thank you." Ruby said breathlessly before giving a short bow and leaving the room.

She didn't want to spend the three week long holiday in the empty dorm room again. Ruby was still hurt by what Weiss said, and although she knew that she would eventually forgive her –all of them– it would take time. Time and distance.

Hopefully, the next three weeks would allow all of them, including her, to cool down. But, in all dark clouds, there was a silver lining.

'_Thank dust for this. At least I can work on the new weapon order without worrying about getting back on time.' _


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters.

**AN: **I'm late. So very very late. I got into maple again and ended up pumping a shit load of hours into it. I blame my friend for pushing me to download extalia. :P And to add to that, I kept getting so many fic ideas. Also, I will be starting my part time job next week but it won't affect my fanfic updates that much since I clock off in the late afternoon. Phew. But holy shit **114**** follows **and **74 favourites**?! I love you guys so much! You all make me so happy and feed my muse as well! Hopefully this chapter makes up for my absence. Enjoy. Let me know what you think about the ending and what you think the future chapters will be like!

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><p>Sunlight filtered through the dingy brown curtains, shining right on the closed lids of a certain red haired girl. Ruby groaned lowly, lifting up her hand to shield herself from the offending ray of light. Why couldn't the world just leave her alone? Flipping herself, she turned her body to face the wall, sighing when she was plunged back into darkness. She was beginning to drift off again, the call of sleep lulling her deeper and deeper until…her alarm clock began blaring.<p>

"Oh dust why…?" Ruby moaned tiredly, a hand reaching out to shut off the alarm clock. She fumbled around for a few seconds, looking for the traitorous piece of blaring metal. Finding it and almost knocking it over, she shut it off with a slam, and was about to bury her head into the pillow _again, _when a knock sounded at the door.

"Ruby? I know that you're awake."

Jack called in amusement from the other side of the door. He heard her groan in response. With a chuckle, he knocked again. This time, he was rewarded with a yell of "I'm up, I'm up!" Nodding his head in triumph, he plodded away and descended down the steps to the living room.

Ruby grumbled under her breath as she reluctantly plucked herself from under the warm woolly blankets. For a split second, her hazy mind confused the single bed as a bunk bed and as she looked down, the girl almost expected to see the angry scowl of her partner followed by the soft snickering of Yang and Blake.

She blinked.

The image was gone, replaced by the dull wooden flooring. Ruby shook her head slightly. Even though she was angry at her team, it was unnerving to be separated from them. Despite them not paying attention to her, she still took some sort of comfort in seeing them in the flesh. And then, the anger from _that_ day came flooding back to her; making her clench her fists. The longing faded away almost instantly.

Pushing the thoughts of them out of her mind, the huntress in training headed towards the small bathroom and got ready for the day.

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><p>"Well well, look who decided to join the land of the living?" Jack teased as he flipped the pancake into the air. The uncooked side found itself facing the black metal pan when the man pressed his spatula against the back of it.<p>

Ruby, dressed in her usual cloak and black and red outfit, gave him a playful glare as she settled down at the table. "Why do I have to wake up so early during a holiday?" She whined, grabbing a clean plate and handing it to him. Jack chuckled heartily and took her plate, piling it up with golden brown pancakes. The girl felt her mouthwatering as she eyed them. As soon as he set the plate down in front of her, Ruby pounced, swiftly cutting the flapjacks with her knife before chomping them down with an expression of pure bliss.

"11 is usually not considered early, my dear girl." He told her, taking a plate of his own and filling it up with hash browns and sausages. He sat down in the seat opposite hers, his large build dwarfing the modestly sized wooden table. Calmly, he began eating his breakfast while Ruby continued inhaling all of her food. The late morning breakfast was spent in silence as the two individuals quietly ate/gobbled their respective meals. Ruby finished her pancakes with a happy sigh, taking a slow sip from her cup.

She made a face when she tasted the bitter liquid. Jack noticed this and laughed. He had forgotten that she was not a fan of coffee, black or not. '_No sense in letting it go to waste._' He thought in amusement and pushed the small tin of sugar towards her. Ruby brightened and grabbed the tiny spoon, ignoring the raised brow as she shoveled spoonful after spoonful of sugar into her cup. She took another sip. "Much better." She mused aloud, taking several more mouthfuls.

Jack swallowed the last of his hash browns and took out a small piece of paper from his pocket, the movement causing the girl to look up in curiosity. He glanced at the paper before handing it to her.

"The list of things you have to do today." He clarified when she just looked confused. "Since you'll be staying here for the next three weeks, you'll have to help out around the house too. Y'know, earn your keep and all that."

Jack grinned when Ruby's nose wrinkled up in distaste. Despite all her talent with weapons, she was still a kid, he mused thoughtfully.

"I already got the weapon blueprints ready. Since you won't need to travel back to Beacon, I gather that we will be able to finish this earlier than planned." He continued. "The customer may check on your progress so I advise you to work hard, Ruby."

He smiled kindly when she paled. Jack reached over to pat her head.

"Don't worry; I'll be supervising you too. And you've done great work in the past few months, so I'm sure you will do just fine." He assured her. Ruby gave him a weak smile. She sincerely hoped that he was right. This was her first time making a weapon not for herself, but for someone else instead.

Jack muttered a 'heave-ho' as he got out of his seat. He grabbed both their plates and made his way over to the sink. Ruby stared at the piece of paper in her hands. '_Might as well get started_.' She thought wryly.

* * *

><p>Ruby dunked the steaming hot metal into the water bath, the weight of it straining her arms. She carefully maneuvered her arm and wiped the sweat which had gathered on her forehead using her sleeve. Suddenly, the timer beeped, shattering the calmness of the room. The girl felt a scowl forming, her concentration broken. The offending instrument continued beeping noisily, and Ruby glared at it with distaste.<p>

Thankfully, the timer quieted down soon enough, allowing the girl to go back to whatever she was doing. Lifting the long and thin piece of metal from the small metal tub, she swiftly brought it over to the workshop table where she began meticulously sharpening one end of the blade with one of the many machines. Once that was done, the girl held it up in the light, smirking when the tip of the blade gleamed proudly. Ruby placed the finished component alongside a black lacquered hilt.

It strangely resembled the grip of an umbrella, but Ruby was paid no heed to it. After all, she did carry a giant, sniper scythe. Taking a glance at the blue prints, her eyes skimmed over the details and stopped when she came to the word parasol, which had been underlined twice. She shrugged. Parasol, umbrella. Tomato tomato.

Taking off her gloves, Ruby placed them atop the blueprints before stretching. She sighed when she felt her bones pop back into place and glanced at the clock. "Time for lunch." She thought with a smile. Her stomach was starting to make the rumblies that only _cookies_ could fulfill.

* * *

><p>The late afternoon sun beat down on Ruby's head as she walked from her own small workshop towards the two-story shop house. Entering through the back door, she waltzed through the small hallway and into the kitchen. The store part of the house was blocked off from the home part by a brown sliding door.<p>

Ruby hummed a small tune as she slowly rifled through the fridge for her weekday lunch, licking her lips when she found the small packet of walnut cookies and a jug of cold milk. Jack had persuaded her to use his fridge like it was her own, quoting 'What's mine is yours' and forcing her to at least store some of her favourite food stuffs in there. Her mind travelled back to the time several months ago when she had first started working.

She had slowly but surely begun to open up to the kind but sometimes rough, older man. He helped her deal with her loneliness, acting as a pillar of strength for the young girl. When Ruby had told him how her teammates had practically ignored her existence and that it was killing her from the inside out, he took her aside and regarded her seriously.

"_You have to understand, Ruby, that the world is not as kind as your fairy tales make it seem. Sadly, it is a place where the weak are crushed and forgotten while the strong take everything. Accept that life is unfair. Try to learn to rely on yourself, as you will discover that no one knows your needs better than you._

_Yes, humans are social creatures. But at the end of the day, the relationships are formed to benefit only themselves. You are not weak for feeling loneliness, sadness or anger. These are the common traits that bind all of humanity together. Use these negative emotions to improve yourself. Become so good they can't ignore you. And when their eyes fall on you again, make them regret for ever throwing you aside." _

She felt her lips curve up in a small smile. It was a nice feeling to be cared for, Ruby thought to herself as she munched on cookie after cookie. Pausing, she took a sip from her glass, shuddering slightly when the cool liquid slid down her throat. As the girl downed her calcium fortified drink, the sudden snippets of a conversation could be heard through the wooden door. One of the voices she identified was Jack's. The low timbre of his voice was one of a kind, or maybe it was because she had spent so much time working here that his voice was now imprinted into her mind.

" –or nothing. We had a deal!" A male's voice seeped into the silent kitchen. The sentence was followed by a guttural growl. Ruby frowned, her eyebrows scrunching. For some reason, it sounded so familiar…

"–do. I make no promises." Jack responded coolly. The tone of his voice made the girl's skin tingle with unease. She never heard her employer sound like _that_.

The sounds tapered off, and Ruby bent forward in her chair, debating on whether to get up and investigate; when Jack walked into a kitchen. His usually sunny disposition was marred by an angry scowl. It made him look older than he really was and a lot more dangerous than he usually seemed. The man spotted Ruby frozen in her seat, and the scowl quickly melted into a familiar smile.

"Oh…was it really that loud?" He asked sheepishly, making his way to the fridge. The man seemed to have realized Ruby had been eavesdropping on him. She flushed a little at getting caught. "How much of it did you hear?"

"J-Just a little. Was that a customer?"

"Yeah…" He responded, taking a swig from his drink. "You could say that he was an unsatisfied customer."

Ruby's head shot up in disbelief. "Unsatisfied?" She said, sounding slightly stupefied. "Your shop sells the highest quality parts I've ever seen!" The girl defended passionately. "Compared to some other shops, yours is definitely one of the best." She muttered, recalling the unsavory times she had bought some expensive 'high quality' parts for crescent rose, only to find them defective.

Jack shrugged. "Well, some people just can't be pleased." He concluded with a small smile. Mood fairly improved, Ruby beamed at him and continued eating her cookies. Finishing up her lunch/mid-day snack, she bid him goodbye and returned to her sweltering hot paradise of weapons and soldering.

Jack watched her leave, his smile slowly disappearing after his charge had left the room. He eyed his coffee sullenly, his mind lingering on the previous conversation he had with his 'customer'. Sighing lowly, he sipped the beverage and immediately grimaced.

"_Bitter..._"

* * *

><p>The rest of the week passed without any sort of interruptions. Ruby continued working on the weapon dutifully; crafting the parts with Jack looking over her shoulder. As she suspected, it was no easy feat to make a weapon from scratch. Crescent Rose was a different story as she had drawn her own blueprints upon Qrow's basic design and built it with high tech machinery, which the work shop did not have.<p>

It was extremely exhausting to mould the metal into a specific shape, and it didn't help that Jack kept asking her to redo some of it. His need for perfection was a double edged sword, although it was what pushed the girl to work for him in the first place.

"Another dud." Jack said with a sigh. He threw the imperfect piece of scrap into the bin while Ruby slowly began to gather all materials needed to start the process again. She sluggishly placed the uncut metal into the crucible, preparing to plunge it in the furnace for the umpteenth time. When she nearly tripped on her own feet, the man shot forward to steady her. He frowned when he saw that she could barely hold the crucible, her hands shaking slightly.

"Maybe you should take a break."

"W-What about the…?"

"Don't worry Ruby. Since it's only Sunday you deserve get a short break. As a matter of fact, you should just take the rest of the day off. No use in spreading yourself too thin and getting hurt. You'll have plenty of time to work on it next week."

He told her with a reassuring smile. The girl nodded hesitantly. In all honesty, she was too tired to even argue with him. Her mind was blank and her hands were hurting like a bitch. Her vision blurred for a moment and she reached up to rub her eyes gently. Her body felt heavy, and her eyelids were fighting to keep open. '_I must be really tired.'_ She thought wryly.

Maybe she really needed a break. Jack ushered her out of the workshop and left her to her own devices. Ruby headed towards her room with only one goal in mind and as she headed back towards her room she almost lost her footing a number of times, close to face planting on the carpet. Finally reaching her destination, she pushed her room door open weakly and immediately flopped onto the bed. With the little energy she had, Ruby kicked off her shoes before her eyes fluttered shut.

* * *

><p>When Jack entered his workshop again, he was relatively unsurprised to see someone leaning against the wall. Not saying a word, he dragged an unoccupied chair near the window and placed it on the other side of the table. Then, he began clearing all the tools left lying around the work desk, making sure that everything was back in its proper place. Once he was done, Jack walked over to his own seat and sat in it with a huff.<p>

Neo observed him silently; her tri-coloured notebook sprawled on the table, its white pages exposed to the humid air.

"Neo." He greeted stiffly, a hint of a frown on his face. She responded with a small smirk, taking out a pen from the pockets of her suit.

'_Will we be interrupted?' _She scribbled.

Jack shook his head. "I slipped a few sleeping tablets into the milk today." He told her. A flicker of guilt crossed his moustached features. "I made sure not to put too much. Just enough to let her sleep like a baby for the next couple of hours."

'_Good. Then let's get down to business_.'

At this, Jack felt his muscles tense at the inevitable conversation. He gave her quick once over. She hadn't changed in the slightest. Neo was still wearing the same fancy suit as before, and her hair seemed even more brightly coloured; the pink, brown and white locks pooling at her shoulders, framing her petite face. The only thing different about her was the lack of a weapon, to which she substituted with a cream white cane.

"As you wish. But first I need to know…"

Neo looked up with a hint of a frown on her face. Her gloved fingers threaded one another as she waited for the man in front of her to continue. Jack swallowed, a sudden surge of protectiveness shooting through him.

"Why are you so interested in Ruby? What do you want with her?"

He asked. No matter how dangerous and how well connected Neo was, Jack would sooner purge himself than put his charge in danger. She was more than just his assistant; Ruby was someone who brought the light into his life. He had been drowning in the hatred for his brother for so long that he had forgotten how fulfilling and satisfying happiness could feel. Jack couldn't help but feel guilt that he would be dragging the innocent girl into his quest for revenge. It seemed almost sinful to sully a light as bright as hers.

Neo let out a giggle at his question, causing the man to look up in bewilderment. She thought about it for several seconds, twirling the pen dexterously in her fingers. Then, she clicked her tongue and proceeded to write something in the notebook. Jack picked up the notebook she slid over to him. What he read made his blood run cold.

'_I'm sure you've heard the story of the little red riding hood. I'm interested in knowing how her story will end. Will she remain the prey…?'_

Neo grinned wolfishly.

'…_or join the predator?'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not own RWBY or any of its characters.

**AN**: I would have never thought people actually like this story. Thank you all for feeding my muse and sorry if this chapter is too short for you guys! I'm more of a quality than quantity person and i have no stamina to write 4k to 5k, even on a good day. It's nearly 12am and i have to work ten hours tomorrow (help) so all the grammar mistakes/spell errors are mine. I also want to thank everyone who followed, favourited and reviewed this whimsical story of mine. I uploaded this literally 4 mins away from Monday, Drednaught! I was actually side tracked because I was watching The road to El dorado (lol).

_Italics _– flashback.

* * *

><p>Ruby groggily picked at her eggs, the fork puncturing the yolk and causing the yellow liquid to flow down the sides of the egg whites like a freshly erupted volcano. Wincing at the mess, she quickly shoveled what was left into her mouth while Jack looked on in exasperation. She downed her second glass of orange juice and shifted her sights to the half-eaten ham and cheese on her plate and started to chomp down on it once more.<p>

Normal people would have felt their appetite disappear, but the man on the opposite side of the table just rolled his eyes and sipped calmly on his coffee, black with no sugar. The smell was so strong that it wafted over to Ruby, making her scrunch her nose in disgust. She never understood the appeal of such a bitter drink.

She was all about the sweets. Hot chocolate, candies, ice-creams and jellybeans could be devoured by the truck loads. Sugary treats made her life a little brighter and helped on those particularly bad days when she needed a pick me up, or craved something sweet on her tongue.

Jack folded his newspaper and set it on the table just as Ruby finished up her food. "Any plans for today?" He asked, picking up his fork and finishing up the rest of his own meal. "You need to get out more. I may be old but at least I know how to have fun."

"Hey! I have plenty of fun on my own." She pouted.

"Right." He responded skeptically. "Because working 24/7 in a small dim room is the epitome of fun."

Ruby glared at him and stabbed the remainder of her uneaten food with her fork. "Says the workaholic." She mumbled. Pushing her chair back, the girl headed towards the fridge and grabbed a large carton of orange juice, pouring a generous amount into her cup before stuffing it back into the metal contraption.

"It's your day off, girl." Jack threw his hands up in the air with such force that he nearly knocked over his plate. "Find something else to do that doesn't involve smoldering metal and passing out on the bed! All the other shop owners are starting to think that I'm a slave driver." He whined.

Ruby nearly choked on her juice. Hitting her chest repeatedly to make sure her lungs received their due she spoke again when the liquid went down correct pipe this time. "Really?" She asked in half amusement and half horror. The more she thought about it, the funnier it seemed. And then it dawned on her. Eyes widening in realization, Ruby had to hold back a guffaw as she spoke. "Ohhhh, now I know why people kept coming up to me and handing me these things. I thought they were just trying to recruit me or something." She stated and pulled a wrinkled piece of paper out from her pocket.

"What? Let me see that."

He flipped the brochure over and stared in horror at the big, bright purple words screaming '_The Vale Police: Change your life by calling today' _with a long list of numbers below the bolded words. What was mortifying was not the heading, but the fact that the scroll number was circled _and_ underlined. Twice.

'_Sanity is overrated_.' Was Jack's last thought as he crashed.

Ruby guessed that she would have been thrown out on the street at some point. Maybe for failing her classes, not being a good enough leader for her teammates (look how that turned out) or perhaps even for breaking too many rules.

But she had probably _never_ expected to be booted out for quote 'working too much' unquote. So now, the huntress in training stood in front of the shop, staring at nothing in particular. Without any equipment Ruby couldn't even polish her darling weapon. All she had was a bank account full of lien and all the time in the world.

It was nice having a day off and all that but…what exactly was she going to do now?!

* * *

><p>Ruby wandered around Vale, squeezing through the crowds which were the norm for a normal, sunny afternoon. She struggled against the throng, becoming increasingly irritated when most of them barely glanced at her before forcing their way past.<p>

She yelped when somebody stomped on her feet, shooting a scathing glare at the person's back before forcing her way forward again. Not seeing any other choice, Ruby threw herself to the side, sighing in relief when she stumbled into an alleyway.

It was damp, dark and crowd free. The girl thought that such a dingy place like this would be a reprieve from the chaos going on out there. Crowds were never really her thing. It was more of Yang's scene then hers.

Yang.

The thought of her sister made the repressed feelings of bitterness resurface.

It was funny how bad thoughts had a way of worming themselves to the surface. They were like cockroaches. Disgusting little critters that lurked in the dark depths of your soul; just _waiting_ for the right moment to come out of hiding. No matter how hard you tried to get rid of them, they just _kept coming back_. Like a thorn in your flesh, it bites deeply into your mind and stays there.

Ruby clicked her teeth. Now was a good of a time as any to plan on how to deal with the inevitable shit storm that would happen when she got back to Beacon.

Leaning against the cold, stone wall the girl began to ponder.

She wondered when it all went to hell.

* * *

><p><em>The days were starting to blend together. She would wake up, only to find that her teammates had already gone down for breakfast. It hurt they hadn't bothered to wake her. Dragging herself out of bed, Ruby sluggishly moved to the bathroom to prepare herself for the dull day ahead. <em>

_Classes were much better than gatherings like lunch or breakfast. It wouldn't seem weird if teams sat apart. Weiss occupied one seat in the first row, scribbling furiously, while Ruby was in the third by the wall. Yang and Blake were somewhere at the furthermost rows, the stiff silence occasionally punctuated by familiar mischievous giggles and the crumpling of papers. Peeking over her shoulder, Ruby would see Yang nudging Blake, leaning into the cat Faunus's side and whispering something into her ear. Blake would turn red and hit the blonde with her pencil before turning her attention back to the teacher._

_Weiss was sitting beside Pyrrha, figure poised and the picture of an ideal student. She seemed to scribble down every word that was said, and even from where she sat, Ruby could almost feel the drive for perfection being projected from the heiress's aura. _

_After classes, Ruby would head straight for the library. _

_It was of no use to follow the remainder of team RWBY. They would ultimately leave her behind, as if her existence was nothing but that of a mere ghost. Library time was peaceful. She would grab whatever book caught her eye, mostly fantasy stories, and seat herself in a plush chair next to the window. Usually, when she glanced outside, team JNPR could be seen with team RWBY. Sometimes it would just be Yang; playing Frisbee with the other four. Other times, it would be all three of them against the other four, with Jaune as the referee looking on in horror._

_That ugly feeling of envy and longing would bubble up again, only to be forced down when she turned away, eyes wet and lips trembling. _

_Then, the day would end. _

_She would head back to their dorm room, her footsteps echoing off the empty walls. Hanging up her red cloak by her bed, she would study the night away, only stopping when her three team mates entered the room laughing uproariously. Good nights were exchanged; Ruby's going unnoticed under the noisy banter of Yang and Weiss. _

_Sleep would be difficult. The pain would come back twofold whenever she shut her eyes. The darkness was mocking and bitter, all her insecurities laid out as plain as day. Just as she thought the darkness would devour her, silver eyes would fly open. _

_Rinse and repeat. _

_But Ruby endured it. After all, every underdog would have its day. With that in mind, she waited and waited. For that opportune moment. The golden day where everything would change. The day when she would no longer feel like an outsider to her friend's happiness, when she would wake up to blinding smiles and warm laughter; receive hugs as soft as cotton candy and be spoken to with words as sweet as honey._

_But it never came. _

_**"We're going over to team JNPR's room! Catch you later lil' sis!"**_

_Enough. _

_Enough. _

_Under the brightness of the fluorescent lights of the bathroom, everything became clear. _

_Nothing would change. She had to stop herself from self-destructing. Because if she didn't…no one would. On that day, Ruby made a promise to herself. _

_And from that moment on, the time which had stopped had begun moving again._

* * *

><p>A light jingling sound snapped her out of her daydream. Looking to her right, down into the dark alley, Ruby saw something gold shine when a ray of stray light shot through the darkness. Her curiosity piqued, she threw one last glance at the crowded street and stepped further into the darkness.<p>

Going closer to the source of the sound, Ruby felt her breath hitch in surprise when a small shop came into view. The shop was framed by old wooden beams with a large window of frosted glass. The words 'Tukson's Book Trade' in black bold words added to the overall atmosphere of mystery surrounding the shop.

Cautiously, Ruby stepped closer.

The bottom of her shoes scrapped the rough, paved ground as she approached the antique looking door. Looking around nervously, she used her palms to press against the grain of the door. It creaked and shivered at the pressure and slowly slid open.

The musky scent of old books was an odd combination with the fresh, peppy smell of new ones. Stepping into the shop, Ruby gently used the tips of her fingers to brush against the spines of several books as she passed by the tall shelves, forging her way to the counter.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book trade!"

Ruby nearly screamed at the sudden cheerful greeting. She whirled around to see a man with odd sideburns grinning at her. Amused yellow eyes twinkled as he watched her shuffle nervously, inching behind the hulking shelves of oak. "We have every book under the sun! If you've read it, then we have it!" He said with a wave. The girl replied with a weak smile. Not losing any pep at her less than enthusiastic reply, he started humming lowly as he grabbed several piles of books, picking them up and apparently going through a small door leading to the back of the shop.

Ruby's frayed nerves began to calm when she was left alone again.

"Wow…" She mumbled into the surprisingly cool air as she walked through the dimly lit book shop. Most of the light filtered in through the windows, lighting up the brown, plush seats littering the edges of the shop. It looked extremely cosy, reminding Ruby of the Beacon library where she read her days away.

Ruby continued browsing through the books. Eventually, she began losing track of time. All the tiredness she never knew she felt slowly began to drain away, as if being soaked up by the pages. Her tense shoulders began to uncurl themselves with each passing hour she spent there, idly flipping through different books and coming across some rare ones like 'The Anatomy of Grimm' and 'More than just glyphs: How to use dust for weapon oriented hunters'. The second one sounded pretty sketchy, Ruby reminded herself to show it to Professor Goodwitch to see if the concepts were applicable and not just some cock and bull story to make a quick buck.

Orange filtered in through the frosted windows, dyeing the shop in a warm, dewy colour. The huntress in training glanced at her watch and felt surprise gripped her chest. Sighing at the thought of trekking back to her temporary home with a bag full of books, Ruby spun on her heel and was about to head towards the counter to–

A shadow moved in the corner of her vision.

Slightly spooked and instincts on alert, She gripped the tomes tightly as she treaded towards the direction where it disappeared. The split second shadow which had been casted on the shelves when the thing moved looked distinctly human.

"Got you–!" She breathed and jumped out to see…nothing.

Only a lone table and two chairs stood before her. Snorting at her bout of paranoia, Ruby was about leave the isolated spot she had stumbled upon when something caught her eye. Specifically, what caught her eye was a book. When she went closer to inspect the mysterious object, her suspicion was transformed into awe.

The book was gorgeous, bound in red leather with a glittering gold spine. Reaching out, Ruby ran her fingers over its surface, marvelling at how smooth it was. To her surprise, the book was surprisingly thin. Most of its gait was due to how thickly it was wrapped. Gingerly flipping the book open, her surprise was further peaked when all she saw was a blank page. Confused, Ruby began flipping through the paper thin pages of this mystifying book.

For some odd reason, a strange feeling of excitement started to build in her stomach when she finally ended up on a page with lovely, cursive hand writing. She did a quick inspection on the rest of the pages, happy to find that they were also filled with the same jet black ink. Making a decision, the girl tucked it under her arm with the rest of her pickings and headed towards the counter.

The owner, Tukson, began punching in numbers on the cash register at lightning speed as he began sorting through the small pile. Ruby watched the green numbers increase with each click of the register and began digging through her pockets to fish out her wallet. She mentally patted herself on the back for remembering to keep some lien on her whenever she went out.

Tukson set down the book titled 'History of Weapons' and set it down next to the checked pile. Turning back to the last book, his eyes widened spectacularly when he saw it. The clogs in his head churned wildly, hand trembling as he reached for it.

"Is everything ok?"

He stumbled, quickly shoving the book into the bag.

"Y-Yes." Tukson gritted out and grabbed the fifty lien note deposited in front of him. He handed the change back to her with a weak grin, his demeanour a shadow of his former one. "Thank you, come again!" The man called out as Ruby left the shop. The jingle of the doorbell was something akin to a bucket of cold water, awakening her from the state of serenity she had ended up.

Thankfully, the crowds had long since thinned, allowing Ruby to head home with relative ease. She made it back just in time to see Jack galloping around in an apron, belting out an oldie. Ruby nearly burst her side laughing her guts out. It also didn't help that the apron her boss was wearing was decorated in white frills.

The memory of finding the mysterious book faded from her mind as she settled down for a delicious dinner.

* * *

><p>Neo smiled when her scroll buzzed. Looking down, she saw a message from one of the white fang members she <em>actually<em> liked.

'_Red riding hood has entered the den.'_

'_Good.'_

The tri coloured girl felt satisfaction bubble from within her.

'_Did she pick the flower?'_

'_Yeah. I can't believe she really found it. Not after how well you hid that thing.'_

'_You forget that I'm not just a side-kick to the flamboyant thief.'_

The reply felt slightly more cautious and well worded. Neo smirked. Even if she liked the guy, it didn't mean that he was her equal. Tolerance only stretched so far, and she didn't even have much to begin with.

'_Do you think she'll be back?'_

'_Obviously.' _The message was accompanied by a soundless chuckle and a tap of a cane.

'_How do you know, anyway?' _

'_Because…' _Neo paused, contemplating the next words. Her gloved fingers swiftly typed out the reply before snapping the scroll shut. With the message sent, the girl exited the room, sashaying through the White Fang hideout. Some of the members stopped to stare when she walked past, making the edge of her lips hook up in a sly smile.

Roman bit on one end of the cigar, waiting for his hired gun to arrive. He looked up at the familiar and repetitive taps of the cane and blanched.

"Stop smirking like that." He rolled his eyes when she flipped him the bird. "Nothing good ever happens when you look like that. And what's so funny about today anyway." The thief grumbled as he began counting all the stolen crates of dust.

Neo just smiled cheerily and tapped the pocket of her jacket.

'_**We're both similar, you see. We like sweet things, fun things. So trust me when I say that the little red riding hood **__**will**__** com**_**e.' **


End file.
